A Twist in the Timeline
by Imaginationqueen87
Summary: There is an idiot out there that thinks that he can get away with attacking NCIS women... and he has caused a chain reaction that will change the team forever. Rated for later chapters and safety pls read & review I suck at summaries don't I?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Do not own N.C.I.S nor do I claim to. I am not making a profit off this either.

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A Twist in the Timeline

Night fell on the Washington Naval Yard and the people both civilian and military were heading home to rest for the night, Abby Sciuto was no exception. She arrived at her apartment and began to get ready for a relaxing evening when she heard her door being kicked open.

"Oh shit…" She whispered running towards the back of the apartment locking doors as she went. This was in effort to try to protect herself until help arrived.

She had already called 911 out of reflex and was on the phone with the dispatcher.

"My name is Abigail Sciuto I work for N.C.I.S and a man just broke into my apartment. He kicked down my door I have barricaded myself in my bedroom." She told the dispatcher then gave her address.

"Miss Sciuto, help is on the way right now…" the dispatcher got cut off by Abby screaming "Miss Sciuto… are you there…"

The cops arrived to find an N.C.I.S id card sitting in a wallet the bedroom floor by a coffin that had them quite confused because it was empty.

"Call N.C.I.S" the detective groaned, "We'll probably get Gibbs"

The N.C.I.S agents arrived and Gibbs stopped cold.

"Um… Boss what's wrong?" Tony asked

"You mean besides the fact that this is Abby's apartment?" McGee asked

"Wait, Abby lives here?" Tony asked looking at the building.

Gibbs presented his ID and the officer by the door let him in.

"Oh crap, I should have known it would be you Gibbs" the detective said, "I've been warned about you"

"That's not surprising," Tony said

"What is surprising is the fact that this is the home of my forensic scientist not one of my agents" Gibbs said

"Why would anyone break in and kidnap Abby?" Tony wondered

"Random attack" the detective said

"If it was random, why did they take the time to remove her N.C.I.S id from her person before taking her out of the apartment?" Gibbs wondered "and her driver's license"

"Who knows maybe they didn't want her to be identified…"

"Oh no, Abigail Sciuto is easy to identify… she's a Goth" Tony said

"Yes, that she is" Ziva said taking pictures

"My men were wondering about the coffin in the bedroom."

"She sleeps in it…" Tony smirked

"He isn't kidding, is he?" the detective said

"No, he is not… I stayed with her while my apartment was being fumigated for termites… she has a regular bed for guests, but she prefers the coffin herself." Ziva said, "I have no idea why, I figured it wasn't my place to ask. After all, I was a guest in her home; I was only trying to be polite to her."

"Good policy, it is always a good idea to be polite to your host." Detective Marks stated

Ziva shook her head it was apparent that Abby had taken every step to try and defend herself all the way to calling 911, but that hadn't been enough. It made Ziva a little uneasy; she lived alone, just as Abby did. It meant that she too could be in danger.

"Gibbs what do you think the chances are that they will try to attack me?" Ziva asked

"Try, the odds are pretty good that they'll try; succeed; now that is a different story."

"Yeah, are you forgetting the fact that you sleep with a gun under your pillow… because I haven't" Tony said

"Okay, how does he know that?"

"Under cover assignment, they posed as married assassins meaning they slept in the same bed and unfortunately learned a lot about each other they probably wish they didn't know." McGee explained

Detective Marks left and they finished their investigation; they had found very little in the way of evidence.

They got back to headquarters with the evidence and then the confusion set in. They had no forensic scientist.

Then one of the agents from upstairs came down.

"Excuse me; I am Special Agent Natalie Wu… I was recently transferred from another base, and I have a degree in forensic science and chemistry, along with a lot of hacking skills."

"Wait, you have a forensic science degree and you're working as a field agent?" Gibbs said in confusion.

"I prefer field work to lab work, but I can do both… I used to work in the San Francisco Crime Lab before joining N.C.I.S; I can work field or lab… day shift, night shift I don't really specify"

"Okay Agent Wu, get your butt in here and start cataloging evidence" Gibbs said

"Yes sir,"

"Don't call me sir, call me boss" Gibbs said

"Yes, Boss" she said and then saw what she needed to work on "Oh no… I'm going to need some caffeine to get through this… I've been here since around 05:00"

"I'll be down in an hour to check up, and I'll bring a Caf-Pow for you"

"Sounds good to me, is that a deal you worked out with Abby?"

"Yes, deal extends to you, if you can do a good job"

"Um, Agent Wu, you wouldn't happen to speak Chinese would you?" McGee asked

"I speak two dialects fluently, and I'm working on a third why do you ask?" Natalie replied

"No reason, just wondering."

The team started to leave, but Ziva stayed behind

"Is there something you need, Agent David," Natalie asked

"Actually I was wondering if you needed help photographing and cataloging this evidence"

"I'm not going to turn away help, you probably know your way around this lab a little better than I do."

"Actually, Abby typically works alone." Ziva replied

"That's what I've heard, Agent David…"

"You can call me Ziva"

"I will call you Ziva only if you agree to call me Natalie"

"Okay, I can do that"

An hour later and Ziva had gone back up to the squad room and Natalie was getting some of the evidence truly processed. Then as promised Gibbs walked in and put a Caf-Pow in front of her.

"Thank you, Boss, and Boss I have found something interesting. The cloth that I believe Agent David found was soaked in chloroform. The cell phone had only one set of fingerprints, and they were Abby's so that doesn't help us any… but fortunately Abby managed to get a piece of her attacker. The blood found at the scene wasn't hers, it was a man's DNA, I'm still trying to find a match, currently; I have nothing from that." Natalie explained

"Is that all you have?"

"Agent Gibbs this is a new lab, I'm still trying to get used to the layout… though I have to admit whoever created this layout was a genius because it is very efficient, even if I am not used to it." Natalie said

"Has anyone told you that you ramble?"

"Yes, I get told that often." Natalie replied "and I'll try to remember that you like it when people just get to the point."

"Okay, keep working, Natalie, you'll figure this stuff out"

"Thanks for the encouragement, Boss" Natalie replied taking a sip of Caf-Pow before returning to work. She then accidentally hit a button and noticed an older man working in what she could only assume was autopsy.

"Excuse me…," she said

"Oh hello, it's good to see a new face, might I ask what you are doing in Abigail's laboratory?"

"Oh, I'm filling in for Abby until she is found; my name is Natalie Wu… I am actually a special agent, I just happened to work in a crime lab before coming to N.C.I.S"

"I am Dr. Mallard, but you may feel free to call me Ducky, as the rest of associates do" he paused "Abigail is missing?"

"She was abducted from her apartment"

"Oh dear" Ducky said in the back of his mind praying that Abby's body didn't come onto his autopsy table.

"It's good to meet you, Ducky, I accidentally hit the button for I guess this is a live video feed, so I thought that I would say hello." Natalie explained, "Um, you might want to check on your assistant, he looks like he's about to drop something expensive."

Ducky looked back

"Mr. Palmer put that down immediately!" Ducky ordered then turned to Natalie "Thank you for the warning Natalie, take care"

He cut the feed and Natalie assumed he was going to have a chat with this 'Mr. Palmer'.

'Okay Natalie, back to work' she thought and went back to what she was doing before her little accident.

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

A/n: Some of the events in the upcoming chapters may seem a little far fetched, but please work with me here, there is a method to my madness, i assure you.

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They soon discovered that they weren't going to find anything new with as little sleep as they had so they went home to get some rest vowing to return fresh for the next day of work.

Natalie and McGee were two of the first ones in that morning.

"You're Agent Timothy McGee, correct?" she said

"Yes, that's me, is there something going on?" Tim asked

"I noticed some inconsistencies yesterday, but I thought they were nothing, but now I'm not so sure."

"Do you want me to have a look at something?"

"Would you, I always welcome a second opinion," Natalie and McGee got to Abby's lab and Natalie ran the finding past McGee

McGee looked at the crime scene pictures

"This is supposed to be her bedroom, but there is no bed," Natalie said

"You aren't really that familiar with Abby, that coffin is her bed,"

"You're not serious"

"Yes, I am," McGee said "and by the way this qualifies as nothing."

"Drat, then I have absolutely no new clues, whoever caught her was good about being sneaky"

"Not sneaky enough… did you ever get a match on that DNA," Gibbs asked

Natalie nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Jeez Boss, you could give a girl a coronary like that," Natalie said "and for the record, no I did not get a DNA match on the blood in Abby's bedroom. I'm still trying to figure out how it got there"

"Rule #9: always carry a knife"

"Rule #9…" Natalie looked baffled

"Gibbs has a set of rules that he is teaching us, they are his rules to live by"

"So #9 is always carry a knife… I'll have to remember that and start carrying one"

"Good idea Agent Wu, did you find anything else that could help us?"

"I'm afraid I haven't, I honestly think that we are missing some key pieces of evidence." Natalie said

Gibbs looked at her confused

"I know I am a scientist, but my gut says that something is missing here"

"McGee take her to the crime scene; see if she can find anything that can help this case."

"Let me grab my kit" Natalie grabbed a pre-packed kit that looked different from what the N.C.I.S investigators typically used

"I cleared it with the director already; it is basically everything that I need to check a crime scene packed in a small package." Natalie explained

"Okay, just go"

Natalie and McGee arrived at the crime scene and Natalie began to go through it again

"Natalie, I don't know what you hope to find here that we didn't" McGee said

"This…" Natalie held up something that McGee thought was insignificant

"What is that?"

"This, McGee, is a bit of evidence I bet no one even saw… it's a contact lends" Natalie replied "and sense according to the files I have Abigail Sciuto doesn't need corrective lenses of any sort so this qualifies as a clue"

"But you said you couldn't get a match on the DNA"

"No, but I can get a prescription strength on this lends and… crap, you're right this is such a buzz kill, I thought I had something, but without glasses or another contact to match it to, this is useless" Natalie said in frustration

"Wait, there might be fingerprints on that lends"

"The moisture of the surface of the eye would have removed any fingerprints on here, McGee, although it was a good theory." (I'm not sure if that is true so if it isn't tell me gently) Natalie sighed

Natalie continued her investigation finding at least three things that the team had originally missed.

They returned and Natalie cataloged the new evidence, it gave her some new things, like a fingerprint that didn't belong to Abby, and a footprint that also didn't belong to Abigail or the original investigators.

"Where did you find the footprint, Natalie?" Gibbs asked

"Actually it was on the door, apparently he had mud on his shoe when he kicked in the door… that or dog poop, I haven't figured out which one yet." Natalie said then got a whiff of the smell "that is defiantly option B. dog poop."

"So our kidnaper steps in dog poop, then goes to capture Abby from her home." McGee said

"I don't think he even realized that he had it on his shoe." Natalie said honestly, "I know it's happened to me… my dad's cousin noticed it"

"So does this help us at all?" Gibbs asked

"I'm running the fingerprints as we speak, the footprint I'm not so sure what we can get from it now, we need more data before that really comes into use. There is something strange though"

"What is that, Natalie?" Gibbs asked

"Why didn't the original investigation turn up the dog poop shoe print, I caught sight of it on the way in the door" Natalie seemed confused and Gibbs didn't blame her due to the fact that it made no sense whatsoever that the print wasn't caught the first time around.

"Maybe it was planted after the fact," McGee said

"Oh dear… that means someone is trying to throw us for a loop." Natalie sighed in slight frustration. "Meaning the contact lends I found could have been a plant as well"

That evening the team went home with very little to show for their efforts.

Gibbs was downstairs working on his boat when a ruckus from upstairs caught his attention.

He headed up with his gun ready and was stunned to see Abby standing just inside the door. She had knocked something over he assumed it was to get his attention.

"Gibbs…" she managed, it was obvious that she was in pain; she had suffered at least one beating, maybe more by the different colored bruises that were present on her. It was also obvious that she was having trouble keeping on her feet for one reason or another.

Gibbs guided her to sit on the couch and then got his phone and called Ducky.

"Gibbs, you don't need to call Ducky," Abby protested

"Like hell I don't… you need medical attention, and it's either Ducky or the emergency room, take your pick"

"Ducky" Abby sighed, "Gibbs, why are you being so mean to me?"

"I'm doing this because I care about you Abby, you are injured, and you need care" Gibbs sighed "I don't mean to be mean, it's just that you're being difficult and you know how bad I am with feelings."

"I know, Gibbs, and know that you care about me and don't like to see me in pain."

"No Abs, I don't like to see you in pain, as a matter of fact I hate seeing you in pain because you… you are like a daughter to me, Abby, and anyone that hurts you is going to have to deal with me." Gibbs said

"Who has been working my lab while I was gone?"

"Another forensic scientist, her name is Natalie Wu, she's really good at what she does, and she's a lot like you"

"I met Natalie, she is good at forensics; she worked in a crime lab before joining N.C.I.S,"

"San Francisco…" Gibbs said

"Yeah, I don't mind her being in my lab because she at least knows her way around a forensics lab." Abby sighed

Ducky walked in a few minutes later

"Abigail my dear, I am so glad to see you," Ducky said "Now let's have a look at those injuries."

"And if you're wondering Gibbs there was nothing sexual… he tried but failed." Abby explained, "I managed to kick him in the testicles and get away before he recovered, meaning he's probably still after me for that move."

"Yes, either that or he has chosen a new target."

"Yeah and he's going to be a little more cautious about whom he chooses."

"Doubt it; the guy has an ego the size of Mount Everest," Abby said "and a brain the size of a pistachio."

"That isn't a good combination, Abs" Gibbs sighed

"Tell me something I don't know…" Abby sighed, "At least I can create a virtual sketch of the guy; I don't think I can forget the way his face looked."

"Actually, Natalie is going to do that, you are a victim in this case," Gibbs said "And about the guy coming back, he'll have to get through me because you will be staying here."

Meanwhile, Ziva David had just dozed off for the night when the sound of breaking glass startled her from her sleep. Before she could fully get out of bed or get her gun from under her pillow a rag soaked in chloroform was pressed against her face. She passed out within a few seconds.

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Ziva awoke hours later to find herself tied up. She was only partially conscious our she would have realized the true predicament she was in.

Abby Sciuto soon fell asleep on the couch; Ducky and Gibbs went into the kitchen and Ducky sighed.

"She has no permanent damage physical or mental that I can tell, but Jethro she needs to know that she is safe until that bastard is caught. I honestly would like to see him on my table but I do not wish to encourage you on that situation. I know that you just might make that happen." Ducky said "Jethro I know that you look at her like family and that is why you are so worried about her, but she will be just fine, just so long as she knows that you care no matter what has happened to her."

"Right now I need to make sure the other women in my team are okay."

"Ziva, the guy would have to have a death wish to try and capture her or Natalie for that matter."

"He got Abby quick enough and Abby said that he is short on brains so he just might try it." Gibbs sighed.

"Gibbs, maybe you should wait until morning?"

"And give that asshole the chance to get his filthy hands on Ziva or Natalie, I don't think so Duck"

"I don't think he is that stupid Jethro, Ziva is a Mossad trained assassin and Natalie is a Xaiolin dragon which is the highest level that can be achieved in Xaiolin animal kung fu making them both forces to be reckoned with." Ducky said

Meanwhile Natalie was awake raking her brains when her cell phone rang.

"Hello… is something wrong, boss?" she asked

"I wanted to check on you, Abby just showed up on my doorstep"

"Is she okay?" Natalie asked in surprise

"Yes, Natalie, she's fine, she's asleep at the moment… you'll see her tomorrow" Gibbs paused "have you been to bed yet Agent Wu?"

"No Boss, I've been working on a book, I've been thinking about writing it for a while; so I decided to start jotting down ideas in Chinese. I just started the book, also in Chinese mind you. I will translate it over later, but right now I want to protect my idea so it will remain in Chinese for now."

"Get some sleep Agent Wu"

"Yes boss, I will do that right now, I can barely keep my eyes open." Natalie said rubbing at her eye with her free hand.

"Good night, Natalie"

"Good night Agent Gibbs"

Natalie hung up and was soon in bed sleeping.

Ziva David was still not sure where she was or what had happened in the time when she was unconscious, she just knew she needed to get out of there and fast.

She managed to get the bindings off her hands and feet before someone came inside, but it was obvious that they had anticipated her doing that. They weren't going to make the same mistakes twice, they had been lax with Abby and she escaped, they couldn't afford to be lazy with Ziva David as their prisoner.

Gibbs got to the office the next day and discovered that Ziva hadn't arrived in. He had thought it was unusual when Ziva didn't answer her phone, but he had brushed it off as she was asleep and didn't hear it.

"Has anyone seen Agent David this morning?"

"No, boss, she hasn't been in or called" McGee replied

Natalie came upstairs and was surprised to see Abby with Gibbs

"Abby… are you okay?" Natalie asked embracing the other forensic scientist

"Yes but I'm bruised up really bad."

"I'm sorry"

Tony and McGee were arguing.

"Hey Probie, quit picking on your teammate" Natalie said

"Did you just tell me to quit picking on him…?" McGee asked

"Other way around, I'm talking to the Probie with the big ego" Natalie replied

"Natalie has been an N.C.I.S field agent almost a year longer than Tony, she started out working here" Gibbs said

"Then I requested a transfer back to California" Natalie explained

"And now you're back here…" Tim said slightly confused

"Apparently I'm a ping pong ball; that base whacks me over here and this one sends me back so I don't really know if this is permanent, but I like it here." Natalie said

"Natalie you and Abby go downstairs and compile a digital sketch and run it through facial recognition."

"Boss, with all due respect, if his DNA wasn't on file; then it is safe to say his face might not be in the facial recognition system, but it's worth a try."

Abby and Natalie went downstairs to the lab and Abby had to stop and admire how clean the lab looked.

"Natalie, I'm surprised, you kept things so neat."

"It helps to keep things tidy, it makes things run easier," Natalie explained

"Of course it does, did you like my art?"

"It is defiantly interesting I spent almost ten minutes trying to figure out what that one was." Natalie said pointing to a particular piece.

Abby told her what the piece of art was and it was exactly what she thought it was.

They started on the sketch and soon it was in the system but they came up with nothing.

"I knew that was going to come up a big fat goose egg" Natalie sighed, "but Gibbs gave us the order and we have to listen to the Boss."

"Yep, but that just means one thing… we still have a man on the loose"

"And he has another hostage…" Gibbs said from the doorway

"Agent Gibbs, for the sake of all things holly… you nearly scared the water out of me, I'm not used to someone that can sneak up on me that easily." Natalie said, "I'm a Xaiolin Dragon for crying out loud!"

"Natalie, I take it we got nothing on the sketch."

"Absolutely nothing," Natalie replied, "I tried every database I know and some that Abby came up with; we still came up dry"

"You said he has a new hostage, who is it?" Abby asked

"Ziva"

"What?" Natalie and Abby said in unison.

"This bastard has Ziva David, we have to figure this out, Natalie come with me, you've got eyes like a hawk and I need all the investigators I can get on this. Abby, go back to my place, or better yet, head down to autopsy and spend some quality time with Ducky I'm sure he would enjoy the visit."

"But Gibbs…"

"No buts Abigail, autopsy has no windows, if he doesn't know that you are here he won't come after you here. I can't leave an agent with you on security detail because we're short-handed so this is the best I can do."

Abby went down to autopsy and Natalie got her things so she could leave and do her own investigation.

They arrived at Ziva's apartment and noticed that it was eerily calm; it didn't look like the struggle they had expected.

"How did they keep her from struggling?" Tony wondered

"Chloroform, Probie, chloroform," Natalie said

"I wish you wouldn't call me Probie," Tony replied

"No can do, Probie, I call them like I see them," Natalie replied

Gibbs couldn't help but chuckle at that statement, but he did so where the team didn't hear him.

"Well there is less evidence here than there was at Abby's place." Natalie muttered. "If you don't count the footprint and contact lends… even then we've got a lot less to work with here."

Gibbs sighed, he knew that they were missing a hell of a lot, but then again this case didn't have much going for them.

They returned to the N.C.I.S headquarters and began to catalogue the evidence. Natalie knew that she was going to be spread pretty thin until this case was finished, but she was willing to put all her other assignments on hold for the chance to work with Agent Gibbs and finally get back into a lab coat for a change.

Ziva knew that she had to escape, but how was beyond here.

To Be Continued…


	4. Chapter 4

It took three days to find any hints to where Ziva might be.

"This is useless!" Natalie said in frustration

"What's wrong, Natalie?" Gibbs asked

"The encryption in this message is like nothing I've ever seen" Natalie sighed

"Do you need help?"

"Yes… do you think I could borrow McGee for a little while?" Natalie asked

Gibbs pulled his cell phone and called McGee and told him he was needed in the lab

"Hey Boss, you need me down here." McGee asked

"Yes, actually she needed your help." Gibbs said pointing to Natalie

"This stuff is so encrypted it isn't even funny," Natalie sighed "but we are going to have to crack this encryption if we're going to find Ziva" Natalie sighed

They got to work and within a couple of hours; they had the code cracked and were stunned at what they found.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Natalie said

"It's co ordinance you don't think that is where they have Ziva?"

"No they wouldn't be that stupid would they?"

"Abby said they weren't the brightest bulbs on the Christmas tree, so they might have thought we couldn't crack their code." McGee said

"That she did, but still McGee isn't this a little obvious" Natalie muttered "I think it's a trap"

McGee looked at the location and was stunned to see how close it was to Gibbs' home.

"Okay if that's where they had Abby that would explain how she ended up where she did." McGee said

"What makes you say that?"

"Gibbs lives right there" McGee said pointing to a spot on the map.

"Oh you've got to be kidding, what do you think are the chances that Ziva could escape and end up in the same place?" Natalie wondered

"Who knows, it doesn't seem likely though, we may have to break her out." McGee said and then called Gibbs to give him the information they had found.

The team went to check the location and was stunned by the complex they found there.

"Damn, I can't believe this is so close to my house." Gibbs muttered

"None of us can, boss" Tim said

They got inside and began to look through the various rooms hoping to find Ziva or some clue that she had been there.

"CLEAR…" Tim called

"CLEAR…" Natalie added

"CLEAR…" Tony echoed

"CLEAR…" Gibbs finished

They then began looking for clues to see if Ziva had even been in this location.

They pulled several fingerprints off a door that needed a key to be opened from the inside but not the outside.

"That doesn't make sense, why would someone put the key hole on the inside" Tim wondered

"They wanted to keep someone inside and didn't mind being locked in with them," Natalie said, "I don't doubt that we will find fingerprints from whoever was locked in here on this knob."

"If it was Ziva why didn't she pick it?" Gibbs wondered

"She tried, but this lock must be tamper resistant or something" Natalie observed, "look at these marks around the keyhole"

"See if you can get any prints off of that thing and if so see if they're Ziva's"'

"Okay, boss" Natalie said and went to work. She was able to lift three clear, unique fingerprints off the doorknob, but she would have to wait until she got back to the lab to find out to whom, they belonged.

They got to the lab and Natalie immediately went to work on the prints.

Gibbs came down a while later to check her progress

"Abby told me that you had good timing, I just didn't believe her until now."

"What have you got?"

"These prints belong to three different individuals, print number one came from Ziva David, print number two is still unknown and print number three was donated by none other than Abigail Sciuto"

"So Ziva and Abby were held in the same room at different times, so that links the cases together"

"Boss, there is something that is coming up hinky to me"

"What is it?"

"It looks like someone pulled some of Ziva's hair out by the roots and just dropped it on the mattress in the room; there is also semen and other bodily fluids on there, including traces of blood."

"Do we know whose blood…?"

"I'm working on that…" the machine beeped and Natalie looked up and cringed, "Ziva David, boss."

"Do you think he raped her…?"

Natalie gulped "Unfortunately, I would have to say that is an affirmative"

"Son of a bitch" Gibbs whispered angrily

"I hear that" Natalie muttered

The next day rolled around and nothing new came up on the radar until something unbelievable happened.

Natalie was in the squad room when the elevator doors opened

"What the hell…" Gibbs said turning to see none other than Ziva standing in the doorway barely holding herself upright.

Tony ran to the elevator and helped her walk to her desk and sit, and Tim grabbed his phone and called Ducky.

Ducky was rather surprised when he heard the phone ring. He answered on the second ring.

"Autopsy…" Ducky paused to listen to Tim speak "Oh dear, I'm on my way Timothy"

"What's the matter Ducky?" Jimmy Palmer asked

"Ziva apparently just arrived in the squad room and by the sound of Timothy's voice she is quite unwell,"

Ducky grabbed his supplies and left in a rush to get upstairs to tend to Ziva's injuries.

He got upstairs and was stunned at how bad off Ziva was, it was obvious she was dehydrated and weak. Ducky began doing what he could but he knew she needed to go to the hospital.

"I have done what I can Jethro, I would recommend getting her to the nearest hospital."

She was rushed to the Navy hospital at Bethesda and they began treatment immediately knowing that she was an N.C.I.S agent. The rape kit was taken but Natalie knew that they couldn't do much with it until they found the lowlife that had captured her to begin with.

Meanwhile outside of the hospital the man that had held Ziva and Abby hostage for so long was getting frustrated, he knew that he had lost his second prisoner, but what he didn't know was what he had left behind or how stupid he had been to grab her in the first place.

To Be Continued…


	5. Chapter 5

It hadn't taken long for the patrol to discover the strange man on the base. He was taken in for trespassing and to the investigator's surprise; the man's fingerprints matched those of a man N.C.I.S was looking for in the capture of two of their own.

He was transferred to the N.C.I.S location in the Washington Naval Yard and they soon discovered that he was indeed guilty of the capture of both Abby and Ziva.

Gibbs couldn't help notice the ligature marks on Ziva's arms, it showed that she had fought whatever bonded her very hard, but was unable to free herself, therefore she hadn't been a willing participant in whatever happened to her. He watched as she slept quietly, and figured this must have been the first time she felt any kind of security in several days.

'Ziva if we only knew what you really saw' he thought as she slept. He left the room and Tony remained in a chair by Ziva's hospital bed, he wasn't willing to leave his partner just yet.

Ziva awoke a few hours later and seemed disoriented.

"Tony, where are we?"

"Bethesda Naval Hospital, don't you remember"

"No, not really," she replied looking rather confused, then she began to think back on the events of the day so far and wasn't really surprised that she was in a hospital bed. She started to sit up and was surprised when she felt Tony's hand on her shoulder.

"Ziva, the doctor says you need rest right now," he told her gently

She started to protest but then thought better of it and lay back down.

Tony wasn't sure what he should be doing at this point, so much had happened to her that they had yet to find out about and he figured that she had yet to make sense of it all. It was obvious that one man couldn't have done this kind of damage to Ziva; he had to have had help.

Tony went back to headquarters once he knew Ziva was safe and fine, he had to run this idea past his boss.

"Tony, you aren't the only one that thinks this man didn't work alone, there had to be at least six men to subdue Ziva."

"Yeah, and that is what worries me, what if some of those goons come back for her?"

"Well it looks like she'll be in protective custody; at least until we know for certain that the bastards that did this can't harm her again." Gibbs said, "She'll protest, but it's for her own good"

Abby came into the squad room, she knew that things were bad; she just wasn't sure how bad they were.

It had been proven beyond reasonable doubt that the man in custody had a hand in the captures of both Ziva David and Abigail Sciuto, but what bugged Gibbs was they had no reason why.

The next few days were littered with issues including rounding up whoever else was involved in the attacks on Ziva and Abby.

Ziva's return to work was a day that quite a few had looked forward to, Natalie included, but what Natalie didn't know was that she was being added to Gibbs' team on a trial basis to see if the extra person was a help or a hindrance.

Eight weeks passed and everything seemed to settle down. New cases came and went quick and with the fifth person; there was more help.

The team was lined up side by side at the plasma screen, Ziva, Abby, Tony, Natalie and McGee, Gibbs was at his desk.

Ziva took off running and in the same moment; everyone in the team stopped what he or she was doing.

"Where is she going?" Abby wondered

"My guess… the head" Tony replied

"Shit…" Gibbs muttered

"Um, Boss, what's going on…?" Natalie asked

"Abby go check on Ziva," Gibbs ordered

"Okay, Gibbs" Abby said on her way towards the woman's room. She got in and found Ziva sitting on the floor of the first stall looking quite pale.

"Ziva…" Abby grabbed a bit of paper towel, wet it and then gave it to Ziva.

"Thank you,"

Director Leon Vance came out of his office to see that Gibbs' team was in a state of panic. He headed downstairs and to Gibbs.

"Gibbs, what's going on?"

"Well we aren't sure, you'll know as soon as we do, sir" Gibbs replied

McGee was on the phone with Ducky as Abby helped Ziva get back to her desk, they had taken the crime scene images off the plasma screen in case something they saw had triggered that emergency trip to the bathroom.

Ducky arrived in the squad room and began to check out what was going on with Ziva. He took vitals and a blood sample for testing.

Natalie wasn't sure what to think about the whole situation, this wasn't what she expected when she came in that morning, but she was willing to help where she could.

She hadn't really met Director Vance before this point and she was surprised to see him come down when things went crazy. She had noticed that he was quite concerned about the team and in a way wasn't surprised at all by this fact.

Everyone seemed to keep an eye on Ziva; they knew that something was wrong, but what they weren't sure.

Ducky finished the tests and gave a sad sigh

"This is not what I had wanted to see" he walked to the phone and placed a call to Ziva's desk

"Ziva, can you come down to autopsy, I have the test results," he said

Jimmy Palmer looked at Ducky in concern

"Mr. Palmer once Ziva gets here would you please step out, I think it is best I give her this bit of news in private"

"Of course Dr. Mallard" Jimmy said

"Just don't let her know that I asked you to do that"

Ziva arrived a few moments later and Jimmy excused himself saying he needed to go to the men's room, Ducky was unaware of the fact that was the truth and he did need to go to the men's room.

"You wanted to speak to me," Ziva said

"Yes Ziva, I have the test results, and well I'm not sure what I should say." Ducky sighed

"Just tell me what the results are"

"Ziva, you are pregnant"

To Be Continued…


	6. Chapter 6

Gibbs had a theory about what was wrong with Ziva, but it was just that, a theory.

Ziva came back into the squad room and Gibbs couldn't help notice that she looked like someone had knocked the wind out of her.

Natalie started to ask but Gibbs shot her a glare that told her it was in her best interests to keep all questions to herself for the moment.

Ziva sighed, she didn't know how to tell her team what Ducky told her, right now, she had to push it to the back of her mind; she had something else that needed her attention.

Gibbs walked over to Ziva's desk and got her to walk with him to the elevator

"What is it Gibbs?" she asked as they stepped inside.

He pushed a button and as soon as the elevator started up; he flipped the switch.

"What did Ducky tell you?" he asked seriously

"What are you talking about?" she asked

"When you went down to autopsy, what were the test results"

"I am pregnant, 8½ weeks gestation and I am experiencing what he called morning sickness, although I do not understand why it is called morning sickness if lasts all day"

"I think every expectant mother wonders the same thing at one point during their pregnancy," Gibbs replied

"I do not know how to tell the others, I worry about how they will react." Ziva said

"I'm pretty sure I know how they will react they'll be shocked, at first, then supportive" Gibbs said, "You just have to give them a chance."

"Okay, I guess we should give this announcement in one of Tony's campfires, we can call Abby from the lab so I do not have to repeat the news to her" Ziva suggested

They left the elevator and Gibbs called Abby and asked her to come to the squad room.

She arrived and the team gathered in a circle

Ziva sighed as she felt Gibbs' hand on her shoulder it was quite comforting to know that he was there for her.

"Everyone, I have the results of the tests that Ducky ran and according to them…" She hesitated "I am approximately 8½ weeks pregnant."

Tony looked like he was going to fall completely out of his chair and Abby had grabbed a spare chair and sat down. Tim looked completely flabbergasted

Abby soon found her voice.

"Ziva…" Abby walked over to her Israeli friend and gave her a gentle hug.

"Don't worry, no matter what you chose to do I will be willing to listen and help if I can" Abby said gently

"We… we all are, Ziva," Timothy said

Director Vance had just come out of his office when he noticed that Gibbs and his team had gathered around one of their own, Ziva.

He came downstairs and went to the group.

"Is there something going on?"

"Director Vance… I have some news that I am not sure how to deal with"

"What would that be, Agent David, maybe I can help you," Leon said

"Well, Director… I am pregnant"

Vance sighed, when he had heard all that had been found out about what happened to Ziva this had been his worst fear.

He motioned for her to come with him

"Ziva I will give you my personal contact information, if you need any advice you call me, I am sure my wife, Jackie, will be equally willing to help you deal with whatever choice you make"

"That is not necessary Director…"

"I know it isn't, but sometimes we all need to know that someone has our back. Jackie and I have two children and if you do chose to keep this child, you will probably need someone to turn to for advice. I am extending to you the option to turn to me in the future should you chose to raise this child yourself."

"Thank you, Director"

After his conversation with Ziva, Director Vance went to his office, called his wife and told her about Ziva. She agreed that it was a good idea to help Ziva any way they could.

The team was still gathered with Ziva none of them willing to be the first one to step away from her at her time of need.

That evening Ziva went to her apartment her mind still reeling from what she had found out, she knew she had to tell her father, the question was, how to do so.

Eli David was in his office for the morning when the phone rang.

"Shalom, Papa" he knew instantly it was Ziva and something was wrong

"Shalom, Ziva"

"Papa, before you say anything I have some news that I do not think you will like." She sighed "during the time I was held hostage recently something happened and…" her voice trailed off and Eli began to wonder

"Ziva what could possibly have you so frightened?"

"I… I am pregnant"

"Do you know who the father is?"

"The father forced me to…"

Eli heard her voice breaking and knew what the rest of that phrase was

"[Daughter do not worry, I will make sure that you are safe.]"

"[He has been caught by N.C.I.S and is in prison for his crimes along with several of his associates. For now I believe that I am safe; I can protect myself and I have friends who will come to my aid should I need them]" she assured her father

Gibbs was working on his boat wondering why in hell anyone would do something like that to Ziva, he already caught the man, but it was obvious he wasn't going to give his reason why. Gibbs supposed that it had something to do with Ziva being an exotic beauty, or maybe because she was from the Middle East; he didn't know. All he knew was that he left her a lot to deal with and he was going to be damn sure she wasn't left with absolutely no one at her time of need. He already knew that the team was supportive of her, and would help her no matter what.

Gibbs was rather surprised when he heard someone coming down into the basement; he looked up and was even more astonished.

"Ziva, what are you doing here?" he asked

"I just finished speaking to my father, I do not know how he feels, he acts like he is supportive, but I am not sure that he really is."

"Ziva, you are his daughter, I know for a fact that if you were my daughter I would be supportive." He said

Ziva sighed, "I wonder sometimes how my life would be different if I were your daughter." She looked down; it was obvious that there was a lot on her mind.

"Ziva, I know that you don't feel like you can really confide in your father and, hell, I can't blame you, but sometimes we all need to confide in someone. You just need to find that person that you feel like you can confide in" Gibbs said taking a sip of his Bourbon. "If you want something to drink, I think there is some juice in the fridge upstairs"

"I am not thirsty right now, but I do think that you are right, I cannot keep my secrets locked inside forever." Ziva sighed "Would you be willing to listen… the only other person that I was really willing to confide in… is dead"

Gibbs walked over and placed a hand on Ziva's shoulder

"I may not be all that great with feelings, but if you have something that you need to talk about I'm willing to listen"

"Thank you, you do not know how much this helps me" Ziva sighed, "I am seriously considering keeping this baby, but I am just concerned that I will not be a good mother."

"Ziva, I have seen you with children, I know that you are great with them." Gibbs said, "Not to mention the fact that you have people that are willing to help."

"I know and I am extremely grateful for that fact." Ziva said taking a seat by the table

They were quiet for a while then Gibbs decided that maybe doing something productive would help Ziva clear her mind.

"Ziva, come over here…"

She walked over to where he stood.

"You and I have a lot in common; we think clearest when our hands are busy."

"I clean my guns, and I have already cleaned them both"

"Here, we can double team this…" he said handing her a block covered with sandpaper.

She looked at the thing for a moment

"You want me to help you with your boat?" she asked

"Yes, Ziva, that's kind of why I handed that to you, with the grain of the wood, remember that"

"Okay," she began with slow, easy strokes along the grain of the wood he could tell that she seemed to be focusing a bit better and calming from the emotional turmoil she had been in when she got there.

"Gibbs, I have been thinking about names for my child and I already think I have a name should this child be a girl"

"I would love to hear it" Gibbs smiled

"First name Jennifer" Ziva paused "middle name Tali"

"Jennifer Tali David…" Gibbs said trying full name to see how it sounded, "Tali was your sister's name, right?"

"Yes, that is why I chose that particular name" Ziva replied "and if it is a boy… maybe Ethan with the middle name Timothy"

"Ethan Timothy David, I like it… sounds like you have done a lot of thinking Ziva" Gibbs stopped a moment "You do realize Timothy is McGee's first name."

"Yes, I have, after I realized I wanted to keep my baby I decided to go ahead and think about names" Ziva smiled, "and yes, I know that is McGee's name, it just sounded good"

"Are you going to find out what you're having or do you want it to be a surprise?"

"I will find out" Ziva said having already made up her mind about that situation.

Ziva and Gibbs worked on the boat for a few hours before she decided it was time for her to go on home and get some sleep.

Abby was still concerned about Ziva, but she knew that Ziva could handle herself. She rolled over and soon was asleep.

Tony couldn't help thinking about how hard it was for a single mother to find someone, even though he knew that was the furthest thing from Ziva's mind at this point.

The next morning the team all got to headquarters around the same time. To find Agent Tobias Fornell waiting for them

"What brings you here, Tobias?" Gibbs asked

"I heard there were some issues in N.C.I.S and I wanted to see how you were handling it."

"We're handling it as best we can" Gibbs replied

Ziva arrived a while later

"I am sorry that I am late," she said to Gibbs

"Don't apologize" Gibbs told her

"I know, sign of weakness" Ziva said

"No, you have a valid excuse" Gibbs said

"What kind of valid excuse does she have?" Fornell asked in confusion

"I am pregnant Agent Fornell," Ziva replied

"Morning sickness…"

"I still wonder why they call it that" Ziva sighed taking a seat at her desk

"You are planning on getting her a chair with more lumbar support before she starts showing," Fornell asked turning to Gibbs

"Yes… did you think I wouldn't Tobias?" Gibbs asked

The phone rang and Gibbs answered, spoke for a few minutes then hung up

"Gear up guys, we have a dead sailor at Bethesda" Gibbs said

He started past Ziva's desk

"Not you David…" Gibbs said

"But Gibbs…"

Gibbs just glared at her, he could tell she was in no condition to go into the field therefore he wouldn't let her.

She sighed and sat back down at her desk and Natalie stopped mid step at noticing this.

"Um, Boss, this may be none of my business, but why don't you want Ziva coming along?" Natalie asked once they were in the elevator.

"This victim has been dead for a while; I was worried that the smell of decomposition might cause her to lose whatever is left on her stomach and with a baby on the way she needs to try and keep the contents of her stomach in her stomach" Gibbs explained

Natalie nodded in understanding, she knew about everything that was going on with Ziva and she agreed with Gibbs that it was best she didn't come to this crime scene.

To Be Continued…


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry it took so long for me to update folks, my computer would shut internet explorer every time I tried to upload... never in my life did I think I would actually apriciate my computer crashing, but apparently that is what it took to fix whatever was wrong... luckily for me I keep all of my stories secure on a USB device so I lost nothing I couldn't replace.

Enjoy this chapter and once again I am sooooooo sorry it took so very long.

* * *

Ziva sighed in frustration, why wouldn't Gibbs allow her to go out on the crime scene.

She looked up as Leon Vance came into the squad room.

"Ziva… I thought Gibbs was called to a crime scene." Vance said obviously confused

"He told me to stay behind; I do not know why, but I think it might have something to do with the fact that I am pregnant." Ziva stated

"Ziva if he told you to stay behind he probably had a good reason," Vance said

Vance started to leave

"Director, I have made a decision that I wanted to tell you about"

"What would that be, Ziva?" Vance returned to Ziva's desk.

"I am keeping this child, and I may have to ask for advice as to what I need"

"You know how to contact me, Jackie told me to tell you that if you need advice or just someone to talk to she's willing to listen"

"Can you tell her that I am very grateful for that fact" Ziva smiled

"She also said something about helping you shop for things that you'll need before you have the baby"

Ziva visibly relaxed at that news

"That means that I do not have to worry about not having something essential because I am sure she will make sure I have everything that I need"

Vance smiled "I'm sure she will"

The team returned and Natalie went to Ziva's desk

"Just be glad you had to stay behind," Natalie told her

"Can you tell me why?"

"Let's just say the crime scene had an odor that will probably lead me to have to burn this outfit"

Ziva was confused for a moment then realized that there must have been something that was, well smelly.

Ducky had yet to get the news about Ziva and her child, but he figured maybe it wasn't his business… either way he was willing to support her decisions. He had already told her that to her face.

He came upstairs later that evening to give her the phone number for an obstetrician that was employed by the Navy; he found that she was practically alone in the office. He figured the team was in Abby's lab going over some photographic evidence that they felt might trigger something in her still queasy stomach.

"Hello, Ziva, how are you feeling today?" he asked gently

"As well as can be expected" Ziva replied

"Don't worry dear, the morning sickness should pass soon," he said

"Ducky, do you think it is too early for me to think of names?"

"You've decided to keep the child?" Ducky asked

"Yes" Ziva seemed calm and it was obvious to Ducky that she had thought a lot about her decision.

"If you have any ideas for names I would love to hear them," Ducky said

"If it is female, her name will be Jennifer Tali, if male, his name with be Ethan Timothy," Ziva said

"Jennifer would not happen to be named after our late Director Sheppard would she?"

"Yes, she is" Ziva replied

"I believe it is safe to assume that you will be teaching him or her to speak Hebrew fluently at an early age"

"Of course, it is my first language, but I want them to be able to speak English as well" Ziva paused as if considering something

"Is something bothering you, my dear?" Ducky asked

"I am not sure…" Ziva sighed, "This may seem unusual for me but I feel like I want…"

"Want what Ziva?"

"A hug…"

"Ziva, dear, you may not realize it, but a lot is changing in your body right now and sometimes the best thing is just to know that others are there" Ducky smiled "come here… hugs are a quick reminder of that."

Ducky gave Ziva a gentle embrace

Later that day, Abby came upstairs to check on Ziva David as the two women had yet to cross paths that day and she was worried.

"Ziva how are you doing…?"

"I am doing okay" Ziva replied, she wasn't surprised when Abby gave her a partial hug, but she surprised Abby by the way she returned it.

"You usually don't like hugs" Abby commented

"I guess things have changed" Ziva smiled slightly

"I was wondering if you wanted to have a little girl time, I mean the guys are out for the time being, you can redirect all of your calls down to the lab and we can… I don't know; just spend some quality time together"

"That actually sounds good, I am getting quite tired of sitting at this desk," Ziva hit the button to redirect her calls down to the lab and grabbed her cell phone.

"Okay, one radical change of scenery coming up," Abby smiled and they headed for the lab.

When the out agents returned from wherever they had been, they discovered that Ziva's phone had been redirected to the lab. Gibbs went to check on them and found that Abby was giving Ziva an impromptu American Sign Language lesson. He just stood there watching in the doorway trying to gage how much Ziva had actually learned in this particular session.

Abby soon noticed him out of her peripheral vision

"Gibbs, how long have you been standing there?" she asked signing as she spoke

"Long enough to realize what was going on down here," Gibbs said also signing as he spoke, "So you are now learning sign language"

"I was getting extremely bored alone in the squad room, Abby invited me down here, and…"

"You ended up starting to learn yet another language" Gibbs smiled "although I do think this one might prove easier than English has been for you."

"There is little to no slang involved, most deaf people don't understand the slang or colloquialisms that hearing people use, I know that my parents don't" Abby said they had long quit signing by this time Ziva hadn't signed much of anything

Gibbs kind of smirked and thought that knowing Ziva she would probably be able to hold a conversation in a tenth language by the time her baby is due seeing how quickly she seemed to pick up the signs that Abby had already taught her.

Ziva went back to her desk to get some work done.

"How much has she picked up?"

"So far she can sign the entire alphabet therefore she can finger spell, she is also learning to count… so far I'd say she's doing good"

"Are you going to continue teaching her?" Gibbs asked

"Yes, she asked, and she also said that as payment she'd try to teach me a language, I figure she'll teach me Hebrew, that is her first language, but we haven't ironed out that detail yet."

"A trade of knowledge; sounds like a fair deal"

"Yes, it does"

"How is she going to know for sure that she's truly fluent?"

"Oh, I'm going to test her, the problem is, how?"

"How about an all girls shopping trip, bring along a friend that is hearing impaired, have that be her final exam actually putting her signing skills to work"

"That shouldn't be too difficult, I have quite a few friends that are either hearing impaired or completely deaf," Abby said

After giving Gibbs the latest results that her 'babies' had given her Abby sighed and took a seat in her chair to continue her work.

Ziva returned to her desk and began to relax when she noticed that there was something different about her chair. She then looked to realize it was a completely different chair.

"What happened to my chair?" Ziva asked

"Director Vance had it replaced with one that has back support, and trust me you'll really appreciate that detail later on, once the pregnancy starts to show." He said, "Due to the fact that you'll have fewer backaches… I know Shannon had that problem, and Vance tells me Jackie did too."

Ziva seemed to understand that explanation, as he knew she would.

She sighed and rested back in the new chair, she had to admit it was comfortable and from what she had heard and read, was going to be a big help later in her pregnancy.

To Be Continued…


	8. Chapter 8

Pirate-Princess1: Thank you for reviewing the last three chapters and I am really glad you are enjoying this fic.

* * *

Several weeks past and Ziva had begun to actually 'show' but at this point was only to the point where she had to wear bigger clothes, she wasn't to maternity clothes yet and therefore those that just gave her a casual glance might have thought that she had just gained a little weight, not she was expecting a baby.

She and Jackie Vance had been calling each other for several weeks and Ziva had learned a lot from Jackie's experience with infants. They were also becoming good friends, which Leon found quite amusing.

Ziva was also making a lot of progress learning A.S.L and Abby had decided that she wanted to learn Arabic as she figured that it would be useful in the future.

They had a new case and Ziva was allowed to come along to the crime scene, but Gibbs had told her that she wouldn't be going to active crime scenes much longer as her baby grew inside of her and she began to show more.

"Gibbs, is something wrong with your female agent, she seems to be losing her physical conditioning" a base employee that they had worked with before said looking at Ziva

"She isn't losing her physical conditioning," Gibbs quipped in frustration

"Then how do you explain the fact that she has gained weight?" the young navy medic asked

"Women tend to do that when they're pregnant, isn't that right core man?" Gibbs replied

"True… wait she's…" he stopped when he realized that this was truly none of his business.

"I thought I was over the morning sickness…" Ziva groaned as a sudden wave of nausea hit her

"Ziva, go sit down and rest for a minute," Gibbs ordered the young navy medic went to make sure Ziva was doing okay and found that she was fine for the moment.

They got back to base and began to work on their case. It was obvious from the beginning that there was something unspoken among the team members, something that needed to be said but none could work up the gumption to say it.

"Gibbs, I have a question, how much longer before you basically chain me to this desk, _again?_"Ziva asked

"A few more weeks, I figure we're coming to a point where everything, including your center of gravity is changing."Gibbs explained

"You do not have to tell me about that, I have done research about pregnancy I know what to expect somewhat, as I read every pregnancy is different."

Abby came upstairs later that evening. They had already managed to somehow, close the case they were working on and Abby was getting ready for a major Arabic lesson from Ziva.

Ziva smiled at Abby's enthusiasm to learn the language, it meant that she was willing to work hard on learning what she could.

They went to Ziva's apartment, Ziva driving and Abby was quite surprised by the way Ziva worked behind the wheel.

"Ziva, I'm shocked, I was told you were a total maniac behind the wheel of a car," Abby said

"I have been taking a driver's improvement course" Ziva explained "I figure if I am going to be driving with my child in the car I need to drive safer and less aggressively than I have in the past."

Abby smiled, Ziva was already bonding with her unborn child; this was a good sign for her future.

"Have you found out what the baby is yet?"

"No, I should find out tomorrow, and Abby… you will be at the top of the list of people I tell" Ziva said as they pulled into the building where Ziva was now residing.

Gibbs was working on his boat that evening; he knew that Ziva planned on finding out her baby's gender the next day and was, in a way, excited for her.

He was also concerned in many ways. He knew that Ziva wasn't the best driver around; therefore, he wondered if she should be driving while pregnant. He didn't know about the driver's improvement course that she was about to finish or that would have greatly eased his mind on that front.

He also knew that for some reason she had decided to confide in him what she felt she could confide in no one else; while he found that flattering, he also found it concerning that she felt couldn't confide in her father, Eli David. Then he thought about it, Eli hadn't been much of a father for Ziva and thus he wasn't surprise that Ziva didn't confide her secrets to her father.

He had been assured by her that she would call as soon as she knew the gender of the baby she was carrying.

Ducky Mallard was watching his mother's Corgis run towards the window late that evening… their barking had alerted him to a stranger's presence in the front lawn.

Then there was a knock on the door, he opened it to find that it was Ziva

"Ziva, what brings you here at this hour?" Ducky asked

"I just needed someone to talk to, Ducky, I am sorry if I disturbed you"

"Oh no disturbance, my dear, you are always welcome in my home… please, come in," he said, "just mind your step for the dogs."

Ziva smiled, as she noticed that one particular Corgi seemed to take every step she did.

"Apparently one of the dogs has taken a liking to me," she said

"That is quite unusual for Tyson… I think he knows that there is something different about you" Ducky said "never underestimate what animals know."

Ziva entered the kitchen behind Ducky and he put some tea on for them, she sat at the kitchen table and was once again surprised when she found herself with a Corgi named Tyson in her lap.

"I take it this is defiantly not normal" Ziva said

"Not at all" Ducky said placing a teacup in front of Ziva; at that point, Tyson jumped from her lap to the floor and left the kitchen. He apparently realized that she was safe.

"Is there something bothering you Ziva?" Ducky asked

"I have been feeling something strange lately," Ziva explained "I was wondering what it could be"

"Probably your baby moving… is it a fluttering feeling in your stomach?"

"Yes, that is exactly the feeling I get." Ziva said

"Well, that is your little one begging to learn how to move about" Ducky explained

Ziva seemed happy with that knowledge

"I get the feeling that the fact that your baby has now found that it can move isn't the only reason you are here"

"No, I wanted to ask about something, I have been having cravings for the same thing all the time"

"Cravings are common during pregnancy, what would that food happen to be?"

"It is a vegetarian curry from a little restaurant near my home," Ziva said

"Interesting, and it doesn't give you indigestion?" Ducky asked

"Not at all, it is rather strange, I read that a pregnant woman should avoid spicy food and I crave curry," Ziva said, finding this quite humorous.

"Every pregnancy, like every woman, is different", Ducky said with a gentle smile "Now you just relax, Ziva I'm sure everything will be fine tomorrow."

The next day came and Ziva went to the doctor for her sonogram.

Dr. Leo Wyatt was waiting when Ziva came in.

"Agent David, it's good to see you again, how are things going?"

"The nausea has gone for the most part and I am feeling a little better than I was," she said

"Agent David, do you want to know what you're having?"

"Yes, I have been waiting to find out for a while now; my coworkers want to know if they should be buying for a girl or a boy"

During the ultrasound Dr. Wyatt smiled

"Tell your coworkers they should buy for a little girl," he said

Ziva's smile brightened

"You were hoping for a girl, Agent David," Dr. Wyatt said although it was more of a question than a statement

"Yes I was, it's strange, I had a dream last night where a little girl that looked a lot like I did as a child came up to me and called me '_Ima_' which is the Hebrew word for mother"

"I have heard stories of expectant mothers having changes in their dreams and some even swear that they see their child in their dreams, I don't know if the latter part is true, but I know that odd dreams can be caused by hormone changes associated with pregnancy"

Ziva returned to work that day and Gibbs could see that she was happy

"How did the check go?" Tony asked

"It went just fine and she seems to be healthy"

"She… you've decided this baby is a girl?" Gibbs said in confusion

"I know that it is a girl, we checked today," Ziva said

Tim had been quietly listening

"Congratulations Ziva" Tim smiled; she had told him that she wanted a girl and now she got her wish.

"I am going downstairs to tell Abby and Ducky the good news in person," she said

Ziva arrived in Abby's lab and got Abby's attention.

"Ziva did you find out what you were having?"

[Baby girl] Ziva signed, she had only recently learned those signs.

"That's great" Abby smiled brightly and hugged her Israeli friend "I'm so happy for you and little Jennifer"

"Now I need to give Ducky the good news," Ziva said with a smile

"Okay, you go on to autopsy and give them the news" Abby said

Ziva left and Abby sighed, this kid might end up spoiled after all especially if Auntie Abigail had any say so.

To Be Continued…


	9. Chapter 9

Ziva arrived in autopsy and found both Ducky and Jimmy were there.

"Ah Ziva, what brings you down to autopsy today?" Ducky asked

"I have some news I wanted to tell you in person," Ziva said

"Is this about your baby?" Jimmy asked

"I am having a girl" Ziva replied, "I also have a question for Ducky…"

"Ask away my dear," Ducky said, "oh and congratulations on the little girl, I know that is what you wanted"

"I am about to take my citizenship test and I wanted someone to help me make sure I can remember the material"

"Of course, Ziva, I will help you with this," Ducky said with a smile

Later that evening Ducky and Ziva were working on the test material, Ducky was giving her a drill over what she knew and she seemed to do well.

"I think you will do just fine" Ducky said, "You know this material as best you can, so I recommend that you get plenty of rest tonight, have a good breakfast tomorrow morning and do your best, I am sure you will pass"

The next day came and Ziva went to take the test with the support of her teammates.

The test went smoothly and Ziva could only hope that she had passed the test, she would know soon.

Later that week she came in to work and seemed unusually happy.

"Ziva what has you so excited?" Tony asked

"Let's see I was one question away from a perfect score on my test"

"Wow, that is amazing Ziva" Tim said from where he sat in his desk

"So now Jennifer can say her mother is a naturalized American citizen, congratulations Ziva," Gibbs said with a smile

By the end of the month, it seemed like things were progressing rapidly towards Ziva's due date.

Tony called a campfire once Ziva left the office for a while and proposed that they all put their money together and surprise Ziva by paying the baby furniture that she would need.

"I have to agree with that, Tony," Gibbs said, "but I have one thing to say, I will build the rocking chair for her"

"You can do that boss?" Tony asked

"I've done it before; I have a pattern for a fine one in my basement and more than enough wood for the job. It won't take more than a few evenings to finish. I can stain it to match the rest of the furniture in the room." Gibbs said

"That sounds like a plan, so she doesn't need a rocking chair, Gibbs will provide that, but how do we surprise her with that?" Tony asked

"Just let me handle that" a voice said, they turned to see Jackie Vance standing there with her husband

"Ma'am…" Gibbs said politely "… what brings you here?"

"I was going to take Ziva cloths shopping, where is she?"

Just as Jackie finished talking Ziva came out of the elevator and walked over to Jackie.

The two women left and Gibbs turned to Vance.

"So you're building something for Ziva, why am I not surprised, Jethro?" Vance gave Gibbs a slight glare

"Because you know that I like to work with my hands." Gibbs replied

Ziva and Jackie got out of the navy yard and headed for the mall.

"What exactly are we shopping for right now?"

"Maternity clothes, you're going to need them sooner than you think," Jackie said

"I know" Ziva sighed, a slight smile on her face "I am just interested to see what is available for me to wear"

"Things have changed a lot and now there are new styles available to pregnant women"

Ziva and Jackie got to the store and began to go through the maternity shops

Meanwhile that evening Gibbs had put his boat aside and began to work on the rocking chair for Ziva.

That was when Mike Franks decided to make an unarranged appearance.

"What's going on, Probie, I notice you aren't working on that damn boat," Mike observed pointing to how the boat had been pushed to the side.

"No, I put the boat aside. A member of my team is having a baby; I thought I would make her a hand-crafted rocking chair" Gibbs replied, "it'll certainly last longer than anything she can get in the store."

"Really… Is it Ziva or Abby?"

"Ziva, but Mike, it is a long story," Gibbs said

"I've got nothing but time, Probie, tell away," Mike said

Gibbs told Mike the story to the best of his ability and honestly thought that if Mike had false teeth he would have lost them.

"Damn, Probie, sounds like your team had a rough time there for a while?" Mike said, "Where is the expectant mother now?"

"She went shopping with Jackie Vance, apparently picking out maternity clothes" Gibbs replied.

Mike had an odd look on his face as he took a sip of whatever he had in his flask that day.

"Women and shopping, that is something we men will never be able to understand,"

"You're preaching to the choir Mike, or did you forget that I've been married four times?"

Then they heard the door open again and soon they were joined in the basement by Abby Sciuto.

"Mike, what brings you over the border?" she asked

"Just checking on a certain Probie" Mike replied pointing lazily at Gibbs

"I have a new agent… well she isn't actually new to the agency, she's been with N.C.I.S longer that Anthony DiNozzo" Gibbs said "she likes to call Tony 'Probie' I guess I don't have to say that he doesn't like it"

Mike chuckled "So who is this agent that is giving the hotshot a hard time?"

"Natalie Wu, she actually came from a forensics lab in San Francisco"

McGee looked at his typewriter and sighed, writer's block sucked; then he heard his phone ring.

"Tim McGee" he answered

"Tim, it's Natalie, I need to ask you to do me a favor."

"What would that be, Natalie?"

"I'm working on a book and I need someone to look over it for me and give me an honest opinion"

"You need an editor…?"

"Yes, but I don't know who to turn to, I found out that you wrote a book so I thought I would ask you" she said

"What is it about, Natalie… your book I mean" Tim said turning from his typewriter.

"I don't know if you'll like it. My book is based on a true story about one of my father's cousins and her struggle to get to America before her first child is born in hopes to give him a better life than what she had." Natalie said, "It was told to me straight from her"

"Let me guess some of the events were embellished to make it a more interesting read"

"Yes, and names were changed to protect privacy." Natalie said

"That is an interesting storyline… I can check it out if you want, proofread and edit if you like," McGee said

"Would you, please?" Natalie said

"Of course… bring me the draft that you have tomorrow"

"Okay, I just got through translating it out of Mandarin Chinese, which is how I originally wrote it" Natalie said

"Does your cousin know that you're publishing this book because if she finds out from someone else she won't be happy about it?"

"She knows, I called her and asked her as soon as I got the idea to publish it," Natalie said, "She's also getting part of the proceeds, she needs it, she's raising three foster children"

"Does she still live in San Francisco's Chinatown?"

"Yes, but she did learn English as soon as she came to America,"

The next day Natalie handed McGee the manuscript for her book and he placed it safely in a drawer that he locked.

Tony watched this in slight confusion

"Why are you locking that up?" he asked

"To make sure that it doesn't disappear while I have it… I know that Natalie worked hard on that story, writing it and then translating it over from Chinese to English so it could be published… but first she asked for me to proofread and edit it." Tim said, "She read my book and thought that I could help her out."

"So it will have on the cover, written by Natalie Wu edited by Thom E Gemcity?" Tony asked

"My name probably won't be on the front cover, it might though since I am the editor and the publishing company might think that will help get people to buy the book therefore making it profitable." Tim said

"Do you think it would be possible that I could get a sneak peek of it?" Ziva asked

"Sorry, Ziva, you are going to have to wait just like everyone else." Natalie smirked

"You are evil," Ziva muttered

"I know…" Natalie grinned

Gibbs had to fight to keep from laughing at this whole thing as it played out in front of him.

That evening was a chill one and Ziva was glad that she and Jackie had picked up warm clothes for her that would now fit better than what she had. She was never too fond of winter here in Washington DC but she enjoyed her new job and was willing to deal with the weather. She arrived at her home and was glad to take a long shower and get off her feet for the evening

Gibbs on the other hand had gone back to working on the rocking chair that he had decided he was going to make for Ziva. Jackie and Ziva were going to pick out furniture that Saturday so soon he was going to find out what color he was to stain the chair.

That Saturday Gibbs called Ziva and asked her to come to his house, he wanted to show her the surprise as it was now assembled and only needed staining to be called complete.

She arrived and came downstairs and was quite confused when she noticed something covered in a tarp.

"Gibbs, what is that?" she asked

"A gift, from me to you and your daughter" he said then removed the tarp

To Be Continued…


	10. Chapter 10

"I was worried I would not be able to buy one of these… it is called a…"

"Rocking chair… and believe me, with a new baby, it will get a lot of use" Gibbs said "once you pick out the rest of the furniture I will put a stain on it to match"

"Thank you, but how will I get the rest of the furniture I need" Ziva seemed worried about this detail.

"The team decided that we would provide it and have put together a lot of money… enough to get some high quality furniture when you and Jackie go to pick it out"

"You really did not have to do this for me… I would have found a way…"

"We might not be marines, but we still take care of our own," he replied firmly.

Jackie Vance arrived at Gibbs' house about twenty minutes later, she knew that he was building the rocking chair, but had not seen it for herself. She came down to the basement to find Ziva looking over a beautiful hand-made rocking chair.

They left and Gibbs went to making final preparations for staining the chair and getting it to Ziva's home.

He had expected a good reaction to the rocking chair, he knew that the fact that he had created it with his own two hands made it special to Ziva and probably would be a cherished piece. He knew that her father didn't give her special things like this that she could cherish for years to come so he felt good that he could do that for her.

McGee was deep in the story that Natalie had handed him that day, he had grabbed a red pen to make any notes with for her to see, but he didn't find much in the way of errors. Although he did find that the story seemed to pull him in and made him want to read more, the fact that he knew it was based on a true story only made it that much more appealing.

'This girl has some talent' he thought as he continued through the story. He finished it in one night and then went back to double check to make sure he had caught the errors, he didn't want to claim an editor position and then leave obvious errors in the final story.

The next day he met up with Natalie

"Natalie, I finished looking through your book and I called my publisher first thing this morning"

"You did what?" Natalie asked

"I called the publisher, you aren't reconsidering publishing it are you?"

"No, but I never expected you would use your contacts to help me get it published" Natalie said in shock

"Well, what kind of editor would I be if I didn't help you out?" Tim said

"We never negotiated what you would get out of this…" Natalie said

"Natalie, don't worry, I never expected to get anything out of this book; I don't really need it. Deep Six has given me more than I could have ever asked for. Not to mention I want to help your cousin as well." Tim said, "This has the potential to be a smash hit, they want to meet you"

A few days later Tim and Natalie went to the publisher, she had a bound copy of her book ready for them to see.

"Hello, you must be Natalie Wu" the publisher said

"Yes, that's me" Natalie said shaking the woman's hand

"I honestly didn't know what to expect when Thom called and told me about your book. I was actually surprised that he edited it for you"

"I was surprised too, all I actually had to do was ask… we work together in our day jobs," Natalie explained

"Thom, if we do publish this book, are we to put your name on it?"

"Yes, but as editor, I want to give her credit for writing it because it is her story to begin with"

"Okay, so her name will be in big letters at the top yours in smaller at the bottom, but still present"

It took a while for the book to be processed and to Natalie's surprise; she got a call from the publisher saying that they had picked up the book and it was sent to the printing company to be put out for the masses.

"Tim, they're publishing it!" Natalie said as she came into the office

"That's great!" Tim said, "Have they started working on the cover?"

"Yes, I had an old photo of the cousin the story was based off of from a year after she immigrated and their artist is using it as a reference for the picture on the front cover." Natalie said in excitement. Tim figured that her feet were barely touching the floor at that moment.

A few days later Natalie has to look at several cover options for the book, they didn't have the title; it was just the background picture.

"These are so amazing; I don't know which one to chose." She said as she looked through them, then she found one that looked more like some of old fashioned Chinese line art.

"This one… defiantly… it is absolutely beautiful and captures so much feeling." Natalie said

They picked the font and such for the title, author and editor to be placed on it and she was told she would soon get a finished version for her approval before it went into mass production.

Meanwhile Ziva David was curious as to what Natalie's book was about, she had heard very little about it.

The day soon rolled around that she was to approve the final cover before it went to print in paperback and hardcover form. She also had to pick colors for the hardcover version to be under its sleeve. She for the main color to be red, as it was considered lucky in the culture that she was raised surrounded by.

She arrived in the office after the release date was set unable to wipe the grin off her face.

"Natalie what has you so excited?" Tony asked

"I have a release date for my book," Natalie said in excitement.

"Really… when would that be?" Ziva asked

Natalie told them the date

"I also heard that some of the bookstores might allow people to reserve copies ahead of time because of the fact that it was edited by the author of the best seller Deep Six," Natalie said

"Okay, I will defiantly get a copy" Ziva said

"Right now the critics are having their chance at it, and well, that makes me a bit nervous"

"Will you get to see what they say before the general public does?" Ziva asked

"Yes" Natalie replied and then went to her desk and pulled up her e-mail, as that was how she was going to get the information (A/n: I'm not sure if that's how it really works so just go with it). She was surprised to see two e-mails about the critics' reviews.

She opened the first and began to read.

"When I saw this was edited by Thom E Gemcity, I expected a crime drama, not this, but I have to say it was a pleasing surprise. For a first time author it shows a natural talent for pulling the reader in and making them want more."

She then opened the second one and began to read

"This is one of the few ageless stories that show how much a mother is willing to do to give her children a better life than she had. It is a classic in the making showing the strength of a mother's love for her unborn child." She hadn't realized she was reading aloud until Tim cleared his throat and gave her a thumbs-up.

The book had many copies reserved before it came out and Ziva was among the ones that had paid down to make sure she got a copy when it did come out.

Ziva picked up her copy the day it came out. She then went home to relax and read her newly purchased book. She soon came to understand why the critics said what they did about it. The book was obviously not something that most would think would come from Thom E Gemcity, but it was a brilliantly written book.

She knew that her delivery date was fast approaching and was nervous about the whole thing; she had heard her fair share of horror stories of labor and delivery. She prayed for an easy delivery, as did several of her friends pray for her to have that luxury.

The day that Ziva was to take off for her maternity leave, but things were not going to go as planned.

It was midday and the snow was falling harder than expected.

"Um, boss, it looks like there is a storm brewing out there" Tim said. Ziva had a weather site up on her computer watching the radar intently. She was meanwhile ignoring some minor stomach cramps.

She had put maternity leave off until the people in human resources had started putting pressure on her and Director Vance about the issue.

She was chewing on her lower lip trying to hide the fact that the cramps were getting stronger.

She swore quietly in Hebrew, but that didn't get past Gibbs.

"Ziva, what's wrong?" he asked

"Nothing," she replied

"You're having contractions, aren't you?"

"False labor" Ziva replied

"We'll keep an eye on this… if they get more regular, then we'll have a problem"

At that point, Director Vance came downstairs and gave them the news that a freak blizzard had put the building in complete lockdown for safety reasons.

Gibbs got the Director out of earshot of Ziva to update him on some issues

"Ziva is having Braxton Hicks contractions, or so she thinks… I think she's going into labor," Gibbs said

"Keep an eye on her, and if things change let me know and we'll try and get a plan in motion." Vance said

"I'm going to get Abby, Ducky and Jimmy to come up here with us," Gibbs said

"Whatever you think is best" Vance said and went back to his office.

Gibbs went back to his desk and placed the calls to autopsy and Abby's lab to get them up to the squad room. They arrived and went to talking with different people in the squad room when something happened with Ziva

"Gibbs… something is wrong…," she said looking quite surprised and confused.

"What happened, Ziva?" he asked

"I just… felt a rush of fluid…"

"Oh shit…" Gibbs muttered

To be Continued…


	11. Chapter 11

Ducky heard Gibbs swear and turned his attention to what was going on with them.

"What is with the language, Jethro?" Ducky asked

"Ziva's water just broke, she's gonna have this baby!" Gibbs replied

"Oh dear" Ducky went to Ziva's side as Gibbs began to bark orders to the remaining team members Abby and Jimmy were also fair game.

"Mr. Palmer, get my medical bag from autopsy… quickly, my boy, quickly" Jimmy ran towards the elevator and was soon in autopsy getting the medical bag from its assigned drawer and headed back up just as quickly.

Gibbs soon called Vance and gave him the surprising news and Vance had a few choice words about the whole situation.

"This baby couldn't pick a good moment to come could she?" Vance asked

"We're talking about a baby that is being named after our late Director Sheppard…"

"Oh shit…" Vance mumbled, "Keep me posted"

Things seemed to be going at a frenetic pace, as few knew exactly what to do with themselves. Those were the ones typically stayed out of the way. Abby wasn't one of them, she was right in the thick of things trying to help wherever she could.

After a while, things began to settle down and fall into some form of organization, only after a loud whistle from Gibbs got everyone to focus on him to get what they were supposed to do.

Abby was sitting in a chair by Ziva trying her best to coach through the contractions but it really didn't seem do much good.

That was when Vance came from downstairs and took that job away from her, he had experience in coaching through a delivery, he'd done it before and he just fell into what he had learned during the lessons that he received before the birth of both of his children.

He was able to keep Ziva calm through the contractions, which was one less thing that Gibbs had on his mind.

The progress was rather slow, but as this was her first baby, it wasn't surprising that things were going slowly.

Ducky was keeping an eye on Ziva's vital signs and praying that the baby was not in distress as there was no way he could accurately tell if that was occurring. This fact had him rather upset on the inside, but he put up a brave front for Ziva.

For Ziva the amount of pain she was experiencing was like nothing she had ever imagined, but she knew it would end with something quite positive.

Hours passed and a true blizzard had begun to bear down on the Washington DC area.

Natalie Wu was doing what she could, but she couldn't hide her concern… it was over a week before Ziva's baby was due… but Natalie figured that small amount of time wasn't enough to cause a lot of problems for the child.

It was 22:00 when Ziva felt a strange urge to push, it was time, her daughter was about to come into the world.

The team already had a delivery area set up and it was now in use. The agents waited for the baby's first cries.

For Ziva it was an excruciating few minutes, then it all became worth it as the wails of a new baby hit her ears.

"It's a girl!" Natalie announced having been the one to catch the little girl.

Ziva could barely speak, as she was able to touch her baby for the first time. She began to whisper to the child in her native Hebrew and even then, the words came with great difficulty. Tears fell freely down her cheeks.

Ducky clamped and cut the umbilical cord and took the baby to be cleaned and wrapped up for warmth.

Once everything was finished, Ziva was exhausted but happy.

Natalie came out of the delivery area to face the nervous N.C.I.S agents who were waiting to hear how mother and child were doing.

"Mother and daughter are fine," she announced

"It's a girl?" one of the agents who hadn't found out months earlier asked.

"Yes..." Natalie replied happily, "she is small, but not dangerously small… Ducky figures she's about 5 pounds give or take a few ounces"

Ducky left the delivery area to allow Ziva some privacy with her newborn child as he figured it was time for mother and daughter to bond.

At 02:00, a rescue chopper was able to take Ziva and baby Jennifer to Bethesda Navy hospital where they were checked out and given a clean bill of health.

Ziva had already fed the little one once. Her choice was the natural approach otherwise known as breastfeeding. A specialist gave her some tips but for the most part Ziva had a good idea what she was doing, it was now up to little Jennifer to master the feeding method.

Ziva went home the next day and was stunned to find that everything had been arranged in the nursery. There was also a bassinet in her room. She was slightly surprised as the only one she had told she wanted to do that was Jackie Vance. The rocking chair that Gibbs had built was also in her room her surname had been burned into top of the back of the chair in Hebrew. She wondered how Gibbs pulled that part off, but decided not to ask.

She went to the chair and sat down, Jennifer Tali resting in her arms.

"Jennifer, if you only knew how much you mean to me… you will know soon enough my angel, you will," she said "I will make sure you know you are loved by your mother, always."

Ziva looked up and was surprised to see Jennifer Sheppard standing there in a strange dress.

"Ziva, I just wanted to say how happy I am for you" Jennifer said

"Director Sheppard, I… I named her in your honor, and I planned to tell her about you when she is old enough to understand. How you helped me come to America where I can give her the life that I want her to have."

"I know about your citizenship exam and I want to congratulate you on that as well, Ziva." Jenny approached to look at the baby that was named after her, "She is absolutely gorgeous."

"I also wanted to say that this little girl has more than one guardian angel." Jenny smiled "Tali wanted me to tell you that she likes that you used her name as part of your daughter's name, she says it's one way that she will be remembered."

"I want Tali to know that I would never forget her, I love her," Ziva said "and her niece will know about her aunt as well."

Jenny left and Ziva looked at Jennifer Tali

"[You just rest now Jen, you are safe, in your mother's loving arms]"

The End

A/n: I just thought I would let you know I do plan to continue this storyline in another fic, I just haven't figured out a good plot for it, I've had a couple of plot misses so any suggestions for the plot of the sequel would be greatly apriciated. Thanks -DEY (Detective E Yin)


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